Poll: Will you talk to Cortana in public?

With the Windows Phone 8.1 Preview for Developers out in the open and available for download, we're sure many of you are thoroughly enjoying the highly requested features included in the release. A major new feature is Cortana and we'd like to know how you plan to utilize the new personal assistant.

Voice assistants usually (as the name suggests) require some type of speech input from the user but not everyone likes this or feels comfortable speaking into a smartphone (when not actively calling someone). Luckily, Microsoft has made it so you can either use speech or text to interact with Cortana.

Reader comments

Poll: Will you talk to Cortana in public?

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My relationship with Cortana will definitely be dependent on those around. In public with a bunch of strangers around? Probably not so much talking. At home? Well you've seen the movie 'Her' right? ◕‿◕

Dan, im from India and i managed to install Cortana as per wpcentral directions. But just one the the music thingy on cortana doesnt appear. The where yoh can capture the sound and search for it. Please help. :) cheers!

I would thought so before too, but this morning I set a new alarm while still in bed with just one finger and the rest with my voice. "Wake me up at 8:00am". I think once someone needs it, and have used it, one may find it be not be as gimmicky as one thinks and actually find it to be quite irresistably useful :)

Interesting. I hate typing. Probably because I use a keyboard all day in work and I get lots of texts too. I prefer texting to phoning but if I can I'd probably rather use Cortana to text than type. That said, not in public!!

You should crap and talk to cortana in public. "Cortana, where is the nearest public restroom?" "kaynachtsman, definitely not where you are shitting right now. I can make a note to not shit here next time you pass by (geofencing reference)"

I suspect that I'll treat it like a phone call. If the setting allows me to have a phone conversation then I'd likely use Cortana the same way. However, I always use ear buds to chat on the phone so I have already been using them with Cortana in the same fashion.

If she came in Swedish, I think I would use it for certain tasks. Quickly asking my phone for directions would be fine, but constantly speaking to it would feel weird. Also, it depends on the environment of course.

My 1520 is my life in that I use it for everything. I am essentially paperless. I expect that Cortana will allow me to be even more efficient at getting things done!!! So yes in public absolutely but still with my ear buds on.

Not now but maybe later. She's still in early Beta. You can still speak to her in English for the moment even with a heavy chinese accent as long as you speak with confidence. You don't have to grammatically perfect, just annunciate the key words clearly.

Probably not that often, because I know if somebody sees me, they'll ask about it and I'll have to hear "oh, so it's your version of Siri." Smartest thing Apple does is give names to everyday tech so things like Siri become the "Kleenex" of the digital assistants.

When I had my Zune, people would be confused if I called it an MP3 player to them. I eventually had to tell somebody at the airport that it was my iPod so that they would finally let me through security!

Well, being Norwegian I believe it will be long into the future before I can use Cortana, I guess if it's made convenient using English Cortana on Norwegian phone I'll start using her in my car. If after some use she proves her excellence, I'd start using her in public. (wow, the prediction engine is good on 8.1 in English).

Have you seen how much info MS collects on you if you use it? Its absolutely INSANE. No way that I will even Cortana at all. They should make each of those pieces of shared info selectable and at last least let you use it even if you completely opt out.

Yes, all the time dependent on background noise. One thing I have to try is Cortana with My Ford Sync or whatever it's called. Anyone get that working with the touch of the phone button on the steering wheel?

I would probably not talk to Cortana, mostly because it sounds stupid to talk to Cortana in english because I live in Sweden. Especially when Cortana asked me "do you want to add a meeting on 1st day, is that correct?" No I said Thursday.

Penalty not in public, at least: Not aloud. You can type queries and interact with Cortana that way, which I will probably use all the time.

Maybe if I'm with trusted friends, and our around people who are curious to see what Cortana can do (cheap party trick), then perhaps I'll speak aloud. Otherwise, our verbal relationship will be a private one.

I will probably take advantage of her naming feature to do some chatting.

A quick question though, and I will do due diligence scouring the forum for an answer, Cortana appears not to function properly given a weak cell signal, even with robust WiFi. Any idea why she might default to cellular data / a workaround? Thanks guys, and loving wp8.1!

I have Singaporean Lumia 920.
Using in United Kingdom.
Language, Region, Voice and Keyboard settings are "UK".
Can't see Cortana in app list.
I tries to change settings as well. Please help me to find Cortana.

You need to set region to US and English (US). Restart the phone and she'll be in the app list. I have a Lumia 620 and in South East Asia. Been using Cortana this morning to set alarms, schedules and reminders. Works perfectly even with my Chinglish pronounciation. Just speak with confidence and she'll understand :)